A good way to cook dumplings is to put them in a buttered steamer over a
kettle of hot water. They should cook from twelve to fifteen minutes. If
it is necessary to cook them with the stew, enough liquid should be
removed so that they may be placed upon the meat and vegetables.

Sometimes the dough is baked and served as biscuits over which the stew
is poured. If the stew is made with chicken or veal it is generally
termed a fricassee.


MEAT PIES AND SIMILAR DISHES

Meat pies represent another method of combining flour with meat. They
are ordinarily baked in a fairly deep dish the sides of which may or may
not be lined with dough. The cooked meat, cut into small pieces, is put
into the dish, sometimes with small pieces of vegetables, a gravy is
poured over the meat, the dish is covered with a layer of dough, and
then baked. Most commonly the dough is like that used for soda or
cream-of-tartar biscuit, but sometimes shortened pastry dough, such as
is made for pies, is used. This is especially the case in the fancy
individual dishes usually called patties. Occasionally the pie is
covered with a potato crust in which case the meat is put directly into
the dish without lining the latter. Stewed beef, veal, and chicken are
probably most frequently used in pies, but any kind of meat may be used,
or several kinds in combination. Pork pies are favorite dishes in many
rural regions, especially at hog-killing time, and when well made are
excellent.

If pies are made from raw meat and vegetables longer cooking is needed